Mara and Andrew Welnetz sit with their 2-year-old twins Quinn and Noble, and their pet dogs Srixon and Kenna, a pit bull mix, in the living room of their Wrightstown residence on Dec. 19, 2018.(Photo: Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)Buy Photo

WRIGHTSTOWN - After Andrew and Mara Welnetz brought their twins home from the hospital, their dog, Kenna, began sleeping by the children's cribs.

The 4-year-old dog has been labeled a pit bull mix by a veterinarian. She's great with everyone, Andrew Welnetz said.

"She's phenomenal with our kids," he said.

But three years after Kenna was first registered in Wrightstown, Welnetz received a letter from the village instructing the family to comply with its vicious dog ordinance. All because Kenna is part pit bull.

And now, the family is among residents who are pushing back against a policy they argue is outdated and discriminatory.

"Breed-specific legislation is simply discrimination that has not been proven effective," Mara Welnetz told the Village Board Tuesday.

Wrightstown's ordinance defines vicious dogs as those with a propensity to attack or endanger a person or domestic animal, as well as any dog owned for dog-fighting purposes. But the policy goes one step further, labeling "any pit bull dog" a dangerous animal.

Per village rules, vicious dogs must be muzzled and kept on a 4-foot leash when they're outside. Pens or kennels holding the dog must be secured with a key or combination lock. If the dog is home, it isn't allowed on a porch or patio, and the house's windows must be closed.

Owners are also required to carry a $50,000 liability insurance policy and must display a "Beware of dog" sign on their property.

According to Village Clerk and Treasurer Michelle Seidl, there are 10 registered pit bull owners in Wrightstown.

Debate over breed-specific legislation

Animal rights activists and others are divided over policies that single out particular breeds — often pit bulls. Proponents of these laws point to the severity of their bites and contend they're more dangerous. According to DogsBite.org, pit bulls were responsible for nearly 66 percent of fatal dog attacks from 2005 to 2017.

But the American Veterinary Medical Association notes that any dog, regardless of breed, is capable of biting. Data that attempt to quantify the bite rate for a specific breed are often unreliable, the organization says.

Because of this, groups including the AVMA and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals oppose policies that label certain breeds as dangerous. They argue these laws fail to consider owner responsibility and are difficult to enforce when the breed is mixed or can't be identified.

"There is no credible evidence that breed determines or predicts dangerousness," ASPCA stated.

Wrightstown is one of several Wisconsin municipalities with breed-specific legislation, according to DogsBite.org. Pit bulls are banned entirely in Ripon, for example. But Green Bay, Appleton, Allouez and Kaukauna are among those with ordinances that don't single out pit bulls.

Pit bulls in Wrightstown

Wrightstown's ordinance has been around since the early 1990s, when a pit bull killed a smaller dog. But the policy had been unenforced until the village recently began reviewing its codes, said Administrator Travis Coenen. That's when the 10 letters went out.

The Village Board met Tuesday to discuss the issue, which spread after Mara Welnetz shared her family's letter on Facebook. Officials plan to review and possibly alter the village's policy in the future, but aren't yet sold on eliminating breed-specific language.

"I know there’s good pit bulls out there. I’ve seen them. I’ve interacted with them," said board member Keith Wendlandt. "But to ignore the statistics and not be proactive to protect the citizens of the community or the residents I think is short-lived."

The letter gave pit bull owners 15 days to comply with the ordinance, but Coenen said the village will allow them more time. The Welnetz family is using their extension to test Kenna's DNA and verify that she is indeed part pit bull.

Pandora Larson and her daughter own pit bulls and both received letters, which Larson called "a slap in the face." Her dog is 14 years old and deaf, but loves people, she said. She's never had a problem with him in their seven years together.

"The only thing you could possibly be attacked for is licked to death," she said.

Larson would like to see the ordinance off the books altogether, but understands the village must protect its residents. She hopes the policy is revamped to put dogs on more equal footing, instead of simply targeting pit bulls.

"People are becoming more aware that it’s not just a breed issue," she said. "Any dog can be made vicious."